of chicago



Jan. 27, 1931.

ROLLER Filed Oct. 5. 1928 Wai.

Patented Jan.

JNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT n. WARE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon To CHICAGO ROLLER sxA'rE COM'- PANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS ROLLER l Application mea october s, 1912s. serial No. 310,096.

My invention relates to r'ollers and particularly to rollers adapted to be used .for skates. In general, one of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a roller of rigid and economical construction which is oomprised of a minimum number of parts which may be very readily assembled.

vAnother object of myinvention is to prO-.

vide aroller having a metallic tread, said y 1 tread being rigidly secured'in position so as to preventdistortion thereof after the roller has been subjected to considerable wear.

. A still further and more specific object of vmy invention is to rovide a metallic roller which is particular y adaptable for roller skates and-the like, saidroller being comprised of a pair of bushing members or plates and a metallic tread secured to the peripheral' flanges of said bushings in such a manne'r as '20 to secure the marginal portions of said tread against distortion which normally results from continued and hard usage. z

.' Still another Object of my invention is to provide a metallic roller which is compara- 2li, tively noiseless in operation and to this end f Ipropose toinsert a. sound deadening membervbetween the metallic tread of the roller and the outer portions of the bushing.

vThese and other objects will be more ap-l parent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the 4 accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a roller embodying features of my invention; Figure 2'is an elevational view of theroller as viewed` from the right of Figure 1 with the lower half thereof shown 'in section for the purpose of more clearly disclosing the' l structural characteristics thereof; i

Figure 3 is a central transverse sectional view of the roller disclosing the manner in which the various parts which constitute the roller are assembled` prior to the final tread bending operation; and

jFigure 4 is a fragmentary sectionalfview of a roller in'which the tread directly -engages the peripheral surface of the bushingilanges.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail :wherein like numerals have' been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various iigures, it will be observed that my invention contemplates the provision of a pair of bushingV members which I have indicated `generally by the numeral 10. These bushing members comprise a ball housing portion l2, a-

web-14 and annular flanges 16 disposed at substantially right angleswith `respect to the web 14. The housing 12 is apertured to receive a hub 18. which -is providedwith an exj ternal-ball race 20. Mounted within the ball race 20 and enclosed Within the bushing housv ing 12 are a plurality of ball bearings 22.

In order to provide 'a rigid metallic tread Ienclose the bushing flanges 1 6 within an annular cup or member 24. The medialy portionof this member 24 provides a tread 26 while the marginal portions28 are bent so as to be securely clamped in position against y j the flanges 16 and the webs 14. In order to reduce to a minimum the noise which is occasioned when a metallic roller Ipasses over a hard surface such as a pavement, I provide an annular sound deadening member 30 between the inner-surface of the tread 26 and the peripheral surface of the flange 16. This Iannular deadening member 30 may be vcoustnucted of hard rubber, fabric or other ma- 'terial having the desired sound deadening qualities. In instances where the sound deadening member 30 is not required, the 'inner surface of the tread 26 may be positioned immediately adjacent the peripheral surface of the flanges 16 as clearly shown in Figure 4.

It will be apparent from Figure 3, that by constructing a roller in the manner just described, the assembling of the various parts thereof is greatly expedited. Thusthe cup or member. 24'is first bent along one margin thereof by any suitable pressing operation and positioned in the manner shown in Figure 3. The deadening member 61""-ring 30 ma now be inserted and then the lowermost bus ing 10 may be positioned with the flange 16 thereof between the member 30 and the -iange`28. The hub 18 and the ball bearings lowered intoy assembled, a suitable pressing operation Will ening member or ring 30 is not required, the

serve to bend the uppermost marginal portion 2S of the positioned cup member 24 into clamping relation with respectto the flange 16 companioned thereto. From the foregoing it Will be apparent that the bushing members 10 are positively secured in accurate alignment during the bending or forming of the cup member 24 and obviously this serves to insure the production of vrollers which are symmetrically shaped and hence which effect true operating conditions. After the member 24 has been clamped into position so as to securely bind the web portions 14 together as Well as to clampingly engage the flanges 16, spot Welds 32 may be made at spaced positions along the Webs 14 so as to positively bind these webs together.

A metallic roller constructed in accordance with the teachings of my present invention Will be very durable and economical in construction and will stand up under the severest operating conditions. In this connection attention is directed to the manner in which the member 24 is clamped in position against the flanges 16. One of the diliiculties which has heretofore been experienced in using steel rollers on skates is that of constructing the tread thereof so as to meet the severe operating conditions Which are normally incident to its use. In other Words, it has heretofore been difficult to maintain the flatness of the tread over an appreciable peA riod of time because of the fact that the treads heretofore used have not been sufficiently rigid in construction. It will be observed that by bending the marginal portions 28 of the cup member 24 over the flanges 16, I provide a reinforcing means which serves to hold up or in other Words prevent the flanges 16 from being bent inwardly when the tread is subjected to operating pressures. Thus, any tendency for the ilangesl to ben'd'inwardly Will be counteracted bv the clamping action o f the marginal portions 28 and hence Athe desired flatness of the tread` Will be unimpaired It will also be seen that the bent portions 28 not Qnlyserve to hold up the bushing flanges 16 but also serve to -clampingly engage the bushing Webs 14 so centric relation during the initial assembling thereof" and thereby eliminates the possibilityT of anv shifting thereof prior to the Welding operation so as to assure the production of a true running roller. Even though the entire tread 26 be Worn away` the flangesV 16 of the bushing members 10 will still be held in proper concentricy align r, ment. ln instances Where the use ofthe deadconstruction shown in Figure 4 may be used. The bushing 10 serves as a combined or unitary side plate and bushing for the roller and by employing this unitary construction,

the number of parts constituting the roller are reduced to a minimum. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: y

l. A ball bearing roller having a hub provided witlra raceway for balls, a bushing encircling the hub provided with a co-operative raceway, said bushing having a lateral flange, a sound deadening member encircling the peripheral surface thereof, and an annular tread member having a marginal portion thereof bent over said flange whereby the sound deadening member is secured in position and the flange is reinforced.

2. A ball bearing roller having a hub provided with a raceivay for balls, a bushing encircling the hub provided With a co-operative raceway, said bushing comprising a pair of connected members of symmetrical construction having companion lateral flanges formed along the peripheral margin thereof, and a tread member bearing against the outer and inner surfaces of the flanges and abutting opposed portions of the outer surfaces of the bushing so as to reinforce said flanges and to secure the bushin'g members together.

A ball bearing roller having a hub provided With a raceway for balls, a bushing encircling the hub, said bushing comprising a pair of symmetrically formed parts, axially arranged and secured together, the inner portion of said parts providing a complete outer housing for balls Within the raceway of the hub, the outer portion of said members being formed with lateral flanges, and an annular tread member having a flat annular surface bearing against the peripheral surfaces of the flanges and marginal portions clampingly engaging the greater portions of the inner surfaces of the flanges so as'to provide a rigid roller tread and for preventing the inward distortion of the iiangesfin response to pres'- sures applied to the external surface of the tread.

4. A ball bearing roller comprising a hub, ball bearing equipment carried by said hub, a pair of side plates encircling said hub, said side plates having contacting surfaces, means to secure said side plates together, the inner portiontof said side plates heilig concaved so as to retain said ball bearing equipment in position between said plates, the outer portions of said side plates having annular lateral flanges, and a tread member bearing against the peripheral surface of at least one of said flanges and bent to engage-the outer edge thereof.

5. A ball bearing roller having a hub provided with a raceway for balls, side plates encircling the hub, said side plates comprising force incident to the use of the skate with a pair of symmetrically formed parts, means which it may be associated.

to secure said side plates together, the inner 9. A ball bearing roller comprising a hub,

portion of s aid parts providing a complete `ball bearing equipment carried by said hub, a housing for the ball bearing equipment of the pair of side plates encircling said hub, said roller, the outer portion of said parts being side plates being adapted to be juXta-posiformed with lateral flanges, and an annular tioned, means for securing said side lates totread member bearing a ainst the peripheral gether, theinner portion of said si e plates surface of at least one'o the flanges and havbeing. concaved so as to retain said ball bearing marginal portions bent to engage at least ing equipment in position between said plates, one of said flanges so..as to provide a rigid the outer portions of said side plates having roller tread. f- Y annular lateral flanges, and a tread section 6. In a ball bearing roller for roller skates bearing against the peripheral surface of at comprising a hub, ball bearing equipment x leastone of said fianges and extending over carried by said hub which includes a single the sideand inwardly of said flange suicientrow of balls arranged around said hub, a pair ly to provide a support therefor.

of side plates encircling said hub, said side In witness whereof, I have hereunto'subplates being adapted to be adjacently'posiscribed my name. 4 tioned, means for securing saidside plates tol ROBERT R. WARE.

Gether, the inner portion of said side lates being concaved so as to retain said sing e row of ball bearings in position between said plates, the outer portions of said side plates having annular lateral anges, and a tread section bearing against the peripheral surface of at least one of said fianges and bent over the outer edge thereof so as to provide a support therefor.

7. In a ball bearin roller for roller skates comprising as hub, all bearing equipment 95 carried by said hub which includes at least one row of balls arranged around said hub, a pair 'of side plates encircling said hub, said side plates being adapted to be adjacently posi= '35 tioned, means for securing said side plates to-` 10 gether, the inner portion of said side plates being concaved so as to retain said ball bearl ings in position between said plates, the concaved inner surfaces of said plates directly 4o engaging the ball bearings and providing the 105 sole side housing therefor, the outer porf 'tions of` said side plates' having annular lateral flanges, and .a tread section lbearing against the peripheral surface of at least one of said lianges and bent over the outer edge 110 thereof so as to provide a sup ort therefor. V8. In a ball bearing groller' or roller skates comprising a hub, ball bearing equipment carried by sald hub which includes at least one row of balls arranged around said hub, a pair l l 115 of side plates encircling saidvhub, said side` plates being adapted to be adjacently positioned, means for securing said side plates together, ,the inner portion of said sideplates being concaved soas to retain said ball bearings in position between said plates, the outer portions of said' side plates having annular lateral anges, and a tread section bearing 00 upon the outer surfaces Iof the liang'esxof said 125 side plates and bent over said flanges at-each edge thereof and bearing. against the inner portion in such a manner as to exert an outward force tending to strengthen said flanges Y a1 when the treadis subjected to the -wear and 1) 

